New partner takes on tax

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Tax team in Scotland has been strengthened following the appointment of new partner, Mike McCusker, who joins from Grant Thornton.

Mike, who has over 23 years’ professional services experience, joins the firm from Grant Thornton where he headed up the tax practice for both Scotland and Northern Ireland.

In his new role, Mike’s key focus will be to help consolidate and grow the firm’s position as the acknowledged market leader in Scotland for all major and ambitious Entrepreneurial and Private Client businesses and individuals.

Mike McCusker, partner in the Glasgow office, said:

“There is a strong demand from entrepreneurs in Scotland, particularly in the current economic climate, for robust tax planning advice that cuts across both personal and business issues in an efficient and effective way. As the credit crunch continues to bite, our clients are not only looking to sustain their competitive edge during this challenging time, but to maximise any potential from their people, intellectual property, products and market position. 

“For us, this means really understanding both the business challenges and opportunities our clients face as well as their personal goals and delivering a tailored tax planning strategy that covers all the relevant issues. In practice this is likely to involve advice on the business structure, potential acquisitions and disposals, remuneration and pension planning as well as personal tax issues such as succession and Inheritance tax planning.

“In an environment where the tax burden on businesses has been rising relentlessly, and changes every year increase the complexity of the UK tax system, it is perhaps understandable that entrepreneurs in the mid market feel under siege and in need of expertise to ensure they remain as tax efficient as possible. This is of particular resonance as the current rules on VAT are set to change on 31 March 2009, leaving businesses with less than six months to potentially claw back cash from HMRC.”

Over the last 12 months, the firm in Scotland has continued to invest in developing and growing its tax team – another recent appointment was John Ritchie to director in the Aberdeen office in July - and as a result the award-winning tax practice* continues to deliver significant growth. It also actively contributed on the issue of Local Income Tax, through its submission to the Scottish Parliament.

Rhona Irving, who heads up the Scottish tax team, commented:

“We are acutely aware that the continuing prosperity of the Scottish economy on which we rely is dependent on the ongoing success of our clients. This is why we are delighted to attract high calibre recruits such as Mike, who brings with him a vast amount of knowledge, insight and enthusiasm to support both our current and future clients.  Mike truly embraces a one-stop shop approach when responding to client demands for accurate, up-to-the minute advice on a wide range of matters from general tax issues to shareholder, family wealth and succession plans.  He is a great addition to our team.”

Contact details
Email: Lynn Hunter
Tel: +44 (0)141 245 2152